Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-15

would have 1t got line from fellow
know informing re that he had got one o.
those very bonds and Offering to sell it tc
me. | went On--he was in Chica.
Comet him, ssw the bond ant
| bought it for how much
/ do you thinki-a thousand dollars, give
/ you my word! But it was worth it, as
/ he said it was the biggest bank robberJ
on record. Well, then l sent the face
vsIue of the bond-ive hundred dollars
| to the bank; so you see,n he added
opening another drawer and taking cut
the identical bond in question, sit has
/ cost me fifteen hundred dollsrS alto
! gether."
The secretary took the bond and IN
folded it. 1t was what Mr.. Smith had
described it to be; the number was o.
9G+. The secretary had an exceedingly
retentive memory, and he had made an
especial point of committing to it all the
numbers and designations of the securi-
ties distracted from the Manhattan Bank
by the unknown burglsrs; and in order
10 avoid sll possibility OF error he mad
put copy of the bank circulsr in his
pocket. 1t struck him that No 97,934 wss
not one Oftne stolen numbers.
~ presume" ne said, "tnat the rob-
berry you refer to was that Of the Manhat-
tan bank, last OCtober?"
"Weu, it was" Mr. Smith admitted;
"though, as you will readily understand,
| should not care TO make that statement
to everyone. There is, Of course" he
added with g laugh, ''s Slight technical
irregulsrity about some Of my proceed
iugs, although, as | have pointed out, I
carefully avoid anything really wrong but
| do not wish 20 imperil my collection
by subjecting it to any police invsstga-
ton. l hsve very few COnfdants and sell
dom refer TO the subject in any way"
"But it occurs 20 me-" the secretary
continued, "that this bond is not one OF
those which were stolen from the Man
the numbers. There WAS, If | remember
right, No. 1888, but not 97.g34."
"Weu, now, it's an old thing" said the
collector, "3ut do you know, that is pre-
Cisely what | thought when my friend N
Chicago offered me the bond for sale,
Not only that, but I had copied down the
numbers into my notebook, and on con-
sulting il l found ! was right. But that
only shows how mistakes creep in. Ny
Chicago friend happened 70 have the
III III leu LAEI llSC4l 4SSuCNN " L4C DGlN III
his pocket, and he proved by that that
was wrong, after sII. But it is an odd
coincidence that you and I both should
have fallen into the same error"
Meanwhile the secretary had drawn his
own printed list from his pocket, end it
confirmed his recollection.
81 am afraid, Mr.. Smith," he said,
"that your Chicago friend has played 3
vi on 10 Two On
and made use of it. He never
had one OF the stolen bonds, or,
if he had, ne was too prudent
10 dispose OF it to you. He procured enc
bearing tie next consecutive number, on
the chance OF your not noticing the diff
ference; but in case you did Gas the event
proved he had provided himself with
bogus printed list, an exact imitation of
the genuine one, with the single eXceP-
tion of this number. 1t was en- ordinary
circular, you perceive, end easily imi-
tsted. So you have paid yOur $500 for
something worth only third OF that sum,
and with no history at all attached to it
except what you nave made for il your
self. Ii you have always been as heed
less as you were il this case, 1 should not
wonder Il great pert of your collection
were UlGu " LuC SGlLlt CIItlClSLl.
Mr.. Smith took the printed circular
ana stared ct itrn silence, while mis- ex-
preston underwent q painful change.
"And who Ere you, sir" he exclaimed
ct length, in angry tone; "WhO presume
TO take this tone with me? How do |
know that your own circular is not be
gus? How do I know that-that"
al was about TO tell you who | am, Mr..
1sg,l -
his card II am, as you see, one Of In
spector Byrnes' detectives, and you have
OcCasiOned us q good deal of trouble and
expense by this foolish Whim Of yours;
but, fortunately for you, I am inclined to
believe that it is foolish within and
nothing worse, and that you are only 3
harmless crank-at least, that you in
tended to do no harm But if you viii
take a piece of friendly advice you
will let your collection stop where it is,
and attempt to add nothing more TO it.
You are not the man to deal with Grimm
ais; you will find it safe on all accounts
20 let them alone. If this bond had been
Whist you supposed it to be it would have
been ny duty to arrest you, and you
might have found it very difficult TO prove
your innocence. Another time you may
not come off so well. But let this be
to you. AS for the salary you
have paid me, we might claim it to de-
irsy our expense in your case; but as we
are disposed to overlook your conduct on
this occasion, you can get it back by ap-
plying a. the office"
put ithe secretary's salary remains IN
clgfmed TO this day.
To he Continued Merit Uc-tT
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uun+Js Cr,re tor 81 sE-fF ;-qnoo9